Electrical stimulation (also termed electrostimulation or ES) is a well-known technology, which has been used in treatment of a large number of pathologies—when used in disease treatment, ES is often termed electrotherapy.
In practice ES involves the transfer of electric current through an applied surface electrode pad that is in electrolytic contact with the external skin surface and the area to receive the effect. In ES, at least two electrodes (a lead and a discharge electrode) are required to complete the electric circuit.
Using electrodes when ES treating a human or an animal includes the drawbacks that it is difficult i.a. due to manipulation of the electrodes, that the dosage is difficult to control (i.e. “administration” is a problem), and that it is known to be painful for the patients. In certain modes of ES (e.g. when using ES in wound treatment), there is also the added risk of infection because ES in such a context is an invasive method.
Despite this the literature on the ES has been increasing exponentially in recent years. About 95 percent are positive reports despite an extraordinarily wide selection of experimental techniques and models. Fourteen research groups report that electrical currents stimulated fracture healing with few if any complications in a total of 595 patients. The mechanisms of action and ideal technique for applying stimulation has yet to be determined
Nevertheless, ES has been used as a therapeutic means in a number of conditions, notably in the treatment of various types of wounds, such as acute wounds, burns, chronic wounds including pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, venous ulcers, and arterial ulcers. In the section dealing with the detailed aspects of the present invention is included a review of a number of the practical uses of ES.